THE MSP attempting to ban smacking has welcomed the support of the Travis singer Fran Healey, who said it should have been “outlawed years ago”.

Green John Finnie said the Scottish rock star was part of a groundswell of opinion in favour of his bill giving children the same legal protection from assault as adults.

Holyrood voted in favour of the principles of the bill, which would end the “justifiable assault” defence for parents and childminders in Scots law, by 80 votes to 29 in May.

READ MORE: MSPs told smacking ban is ‘attack on authority of God'

Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Mr Healy, who grew up in Glasgow’s Possilpark, said the physical punishment of children simply “wasn’t necessary”.

He told the paper: He said: “Children are the only people in the world you’re allowed to hit and not get any kickback from it.

“They’re the world’s punchbag. We grew up around all of that and I’m so glad they’re making it illegal now. There are other ways of doing that. It should have been outlawed years ago.”

He said the Travis song Blue Flashing Light, which refers to “a belt hanging over the door”, was partly based on his own childhood.

The father-of-one said: “I remember the belt over the door in my uncle’s place. The song draws from that. It’s just not necessary. You can teach someone discipline without physical aggression. But we grew up around all of that in Scotland.”

READ MORE: SNP MSP attacks plans to ban smacking in Scotland

Mr Finnie said: “I welcome this backing from one of Scotland’s most well-known singers.

“His support joins that of Scotland’s children’s commissioner, all the major children’s charities and the majority of MSPs that it is time to give children the right to grow up without violence.

“The growing body of international evidence shows that the physical punishment of children is harmful to their development and is not an effective means of discipline.

“I look forward to further support as my bill passes through parliament.”

READ MORE: MSPs back general principles of new smacking ban law

Although opposed by the Scottish Tories, the bill is expected to become law after it clears its final Holyrood stages as it has SNP government support.

However not SNP MSPs are in favour of the plan.

Uddingston & Bellshill MSP Richard Lyle said the Children (Equal Protection from Assault) (Scotland) raised the spectre "of good parents being criminalised".

He said it it would hurt families, add to the workloads of struggling police and could be used as a weapon by warring parents in divorce cases.